John 14:²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

One of the things I have learned through studying the bible is that you need to pay attention to the order of what is said.  Often, what was said right before a verse changes the meaning of what follows, and if taken out of context, can be misleading.  If you look at John 14:25-27, you see Jesus is telling us that once He leaves, the Father will send the Comforter, so we will not be left alone.  Then Jesus points out that what He is leaving with us is His peace.

I always thought this meant the “peace that passes understanding”, a peace of mind that comes from trusting God. But looking at it this way, I see that the the peace Jesus is leaving us is in the Person of the Holy Spirit.  He is leaving us the fruit of the Spirit within the Person who He sends to indwell us.

Now what does that mean practically for us?  That we have access to a peace that has nothing to do with our mental or emotional processes.  It simply exists in the Person of the Holy Spirit, and we have access to all of His fruit at all times – if we ask for it, and if we are abiding in the vine, remaining in the Spirit. That means that, before we find the solution to our problems, before we RESET our Life Patterns, we can still access peace when we are troubled and afraid.

So I want to encourage you to be bold and ask for the fruit of peace in your life.  Pray in the spirit, meaning don’t worry about finding the right words – just groan if that’s what it takes to release what you are feeling to Him, and then ask and receive His peace.